Yesterday Was Better
by Meriora
Summary: Every time it rained black snow, the Southern Water Tribe was irrevocably damaged. This time is no different.
1. Black Snow

That day it rained black snow. Black snow that had graced every tale since the dawn of the Hundred Year War.

"Listen to your parents or else the snow will fall black and the Fire Nation will take you away."

"Do that again and the black snow will burn you alive!"

Katara had heard these all before. Not directed at her of course, she was a rather well behaved child and loved it when every woman gushed about her being the splitting image of her grandmother. The only thing she had ever done wrong was move the snow without touching it. The adults hushed and pushed the other kids into their huts while her mother slapped her and told her to never do that again before sobbing uncontrollably. Ever since then, her mom, dad or Gran-Gran took her wherever they went. It was fun helping out, but Katara wanted to play with the other kids.

Sometimes Sokka would 'humor' his little sister, as he called it and play snow forts with her. Her snow fort always looked sturdier and her snowballs were always rounder, but Sokka took things in stride. On that day, they were playing snow forts and Katara was winning when the first flake of black snow hit Sokka's nose. He froze and slowly looked at the sky as more and more hit the ground. Katara did the same and broke the stunned silence first. "I'm going to find Mom," she said before running off as fast as her four year old legs could carry her. Sokka ran off to find Dad and Uncle Bato. They were big and strong enough to fight the Fire Nation monsters.

When Katara made it to the hut she shared with her family, there was already someone there with her mom. Someone huge and covered in the dark red of the Fire Nation. He made to say something, perhaps telling her to leave when her dad pushed into the hut behind her, Bato and Sokka in tow. "You have until the count of three to get out of my house and out of my village," her dad snarled, looking just as scary as the man in red. The Fire Nation man laughed and created fire in his palm, scaring Katara but also fascinating her. Maybe if she become big and strong she could create water in her palm too.

"How about you stay right there and listen to my demands or your village will burn to the ground. All I have to do is send up a little flame, just like this one, and your village is nothing but slush," he threatened. Hakoda and Bato bristled, but lowered their weapons slightly. "Good. Now I was just asking this fine lady here where would I be able to find the last waterbender. She said there weren't anymore but I don't believe her. Women are untrustworthy you see, so maybe you fine gentlemen will tell me."

Katara looked at her mother's face, which was furrowed in worry, fear and desperation. Her father had the same look on his face, but Bato was busy looking at her, Sokka and the man in red. Where was her Gran-Gran? Did the man hurt her? Did she run away? Her dad meant to say something but the man let the fire grow bigger and said, "Remember what happens if you lie. I will know and I will not hesitate." His eyes bore right into hers as he said that, and she saw cruelty and something sinister in those eyes.

Hakoda's face was lined with resignation. "Do you promise to let us be if you have the waterbender?" His words seemed to freeze Katara's blood as her mother looked horrified. The man in red nodded, giving a smile that looked straight out of a demon's face. "Alright, it's m-"

"It's the girl," Bato said. He was pointing right at her. "She's the waterbender." The air, which had grown warm from the fire in the man's palm, suddenly became frigid as he extinguished the flame. The world was heavy with Bato's words. The man smiled nastily as he pushed past Kya to grab Katara's arm. He easily pulled her out of the hut and once Hakoda felt the icy air, he was awakened out of the trance Bato's betrayal had caused. Without a glance to his son, wife or friend, he made his way towards the exit, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Hakoda, I know you must hate me, but we have to let her go," Bato said. Hakoda was livid.

"You put my child in the hands of a monster! The enemy! What will they do to her?"

"Did you not see how he looked at her? He knew Katara was the waterbender the whole time, he was just testing us. If we failed who knows what he would have done." Bato's unspoken words were heavy in their minds. They couldn't hold off a platoon of fire bending soldiers. It was Katara or the village.

"How did he know? How would he know Bato?" asked Kya, so softly the men had to strain to hear her. It seemed everything had just drained the life out of her, leaving an empty shell.

"If he knew there was a waterbender here, he must have known more. Not even our brothers and sisters in the North know Katara is a waterbender. It was a secret. Only the villagers know."

"That means we have a traitor in our midst and that traitor cost me my daughter."

While the adults were talking, none of them noticed little Sokka sneaking out of the hut.

Katara yanked and yanked and yanked but no matter what, the man still had a strong grip on her arm. There was no-one outside, no-one but her, the man and the bird faced Fire soldiers. Katara wanted to cry out for help but who would save her? Her mom and dad stood there while he took her away and Bato told, Bato told! It was a secret and Bato told! The man had dragged her to the ship when a furious yell and the whistle of a snowball reached her ears. The man in red had gotten hit right in the back of the head with a poorly made snowball. He turned around furiously, expecting another waterbender but stopped when the culprit was just a little boy.

"Give me back my sister!" Sokka cried, tears streaming down his face as he made another shoddy snowball. He threw it, but it landed weakly at the man in red's feet. The soldiers moved to apprehend Sokka but the man held up his hand. Instead of looking outraged or angry, he looked amused, like what Sokka was doing was funny.

"Sokka! Sokka!" Katara cried, renewing her efforts to yank her arm out of the man's grasp

The man chuckled this time. "Look at this men! This child comes here and dares take on the Southern Raiders with snowballs!" The soldiers looked at each other in confusion, not sure if they were allowed to laugh or not. "Is this the best the Southern Water Tribe had to offer? This child with his snowballs? How hilarious!" He was laughing in earnest now, along with his men. Sokka felt the sting of humiliation, which caused even more tears to fall but he refused to stop. He made snowball after snowball, mostly missing but sometimes he would hit the man's shoes.

The man in red handed Katara over to a soldier and told him to take her onto the ship. "No! Noooo! Sokka, save me! Please!" Katara yelled, trying her hardest to fight but there was only so much a four year old girl could do. Sokka finally stopped making snowballs and in a fury, ran to the man in red and started pounding his fists into his gut as hard as he could. Which, considering he was only 6 himself, wasn't much. With barely any effort, the man roughly pushed Sokka into the snow and adjusted his gloves. He bent down so he was at Sokka's level and thrust a flame covered hand into his face. "You're a brave little boy aren't you?" he said as Sokka's eyes widened in fear but he did not flinch away. "I want you to become a man. Become strong so you can get your revenge. When that day comes, I, Yon Rha, will be waiting."

With that Yon Rha and the Southern Raiders left the Southern Water Tribe with their prize. Sokka stayed in the snow when they left. He sat while the tribe finally went outside and surveyed the damage. He refused to budge when his parents found him and only moved when his father and Gran-Gran dragged him home.


	2. Lieutenant Wei

**Author's Note: I would like to thank miroku kensei for being my first reviewer, Soulhope The Wolf for reviewing and following and pixie125 for following! And thank you everyone else for reading! I hope you all like this chapter!**

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><p>As soon as she got on the ship, Katara started to cry. Her brother had failed and no-one was going to save her. She cried and cried and cried, causing the soldier who was in charge of watching over her to fidget nervously.<p>

"Umm, please don't cry anymore," he said, squatting to her level and trying to initiate eye contact. That only made her cry harder and he inwardly cursed. Maybe the face plate was scaring her a little. He took it off and attempted a sympathetic smile. "Sorry about that. The mask is kind of scary. My name is Wei, what's yours?" He figured the least he could do was be nice to her, after she was brutally torn from her family and her life and could only to look forward to being imprisoned and tortured for the rest of her life. Just because of something she couldn't control.

Wei's soothing voice worked wonders as Katara's hiccupping sobs became whimpers and sniffles. She looked up into his eyes with distrust clearly written all over her face. Wei had to bite back a gasp. Her eyes were so blue, they seemed to glow in the dim light. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. Besides the boy he gathered was her brother, Wei had never seen someone from the Water Tribes. When they disembarked, the tribe looked abandoned.

"Would you like to tell me your name?" he asked the girl with the glowing eyes. She shook her head slowly but still told him her name. "Katara huh? That's a beautiful name," he said, giving her a big smile. "Much better than lousy old Wei."

She giggled and wiped her red eyes. "My dad said it means waterfall in my tribe's ancient language," she said softly. Wei smiled at her as she finally said something. From his time in the navy, Wei knew how the rest of the world viewed the Fire Nation. He wanted to show this little girl that they weren't all monsters, they were just helping the lesser nations by spreading their technology. They weren't honorless villains, they normally didn't harm women, and children were off limits surely. Fire Lord Azulon had given Capitan Yon Rha the order to take no prisoners and just kill the waterbender, but no-one said what to do if she was a child. At least his captain had showed enough honor to take the girl prisoner.p

"W-Wei?" She asked, voice still quivering from her tears. "What's gonna happen to me? Is my brother okay? Did the man in red hurt him?"

"Your brother? Soo-kah right? The Capitan didn't hurt him. We don't hurt children," he said. "Once we're off this boat, we'll be in the Fire Nation and you'll make a new life there." Wei gave her a winning smile that she weakly returned. "Don't worry Katara, I'll make sure your trip to the Fire Nation will be amazing."

Wei made good on his promise. Even though he was only a rookie fresh out of training, he was the son of a very prominent noble family, one with strong ties to the military. He could do whatever he wanted and that included letting a four year old have free reign over a Southern Raiders ship. Katara wouldn't know this for many years to come, but her blue eyes had captivated Wei and he would be her staunchest ally for the rest of her life.

Though she was still upset at leaving her home, Katara adapted to life on the ship pretty quickly. She mostly spent her time following Wei around the ship and whenever he would go into restricted areas, she would go into the kitchen and spend time with the cook. All too soon, the ship arrived in port and they were in the Fire Nation. "Here we are," Wei said as they exited the ship. Katara clutched his hand with a vice grip as she looked at the imposing city in front of her. Everyone was wearing various shades of red and she stood out in her faded blue parka. It was much too hot for her to be wearing it, but she refused to wear anything else, not that a military cruiser had clothes for a child. Wei smiled fondly at her as he gently led her off the dock. The other raiders had all gone their separate ways, and Captain Yon Rha had gone to talk to the Fire Lord about Katara.

Wei was a bit nervous about the proceedings. He had asked the captain to plead for her freedom. Not to go back to the Tribes, but into his custody. He was afraid she would end up like the other Southern Waterbenders, forced into captivity. Wei had never seen where the other waterbenders were being kept, but he had heard rumors. One persistent rumor was that one waterbender managed to escape, while his kinsmen had gone insane. Wei didn't want his pretty Katara to end up like them. "Wei," she said in her little voice. "Where are we going?" He smiled at her and started walking toward the marketplace.

"Somewhere you'd really like," he said. She was skeptical but had no reason to disbelieve him. He had been right so far about everything. Katara clutched his hand as she was led into the marketplace. She watched the peddlers sell their wares at unsuspecting customers and people haggling over brightly colored fabrics.

They were mostly ignored because a young soldier and a child were not the best customers. He smiled while Katara whipped her head from stall to stall. There was something about seeing someone look at his country with fresh eyes. Things he took for granted were a commodity to her. Wei had so much to show her, but he knew he only had a short time left with her. He wanted to give her nice, something she'd remember him by, and something better than the flashy dresses that caught Katara's eye. Then he saw it. It was in a smaller stall, one not smothered with people and filed with dingy looking goods. It was buried under a mass of scuffed jewelry but it looked perfect. It was a small sliver chain link necklace with a rose colored piece of glass in the middle.

It was nothing like the jewelry of the nobles or the princesses but it was simple and just understated enough to be ignored. He quickly bought it while Katara was entranced by some brightly colored dresses. "Hey Katara, why don't we get some food?" He asked the girl. She nodded and let him drag her to a food stall. He ordered noodles for them both and laughed when she spit them out. "What's wrong with them?"

"They're gross!" Katara wailed. Her eyes were watering and she kept wiping her tongue.

"Too spicy?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He didn't know much about food from the Tribes but guessing from her reaction, it wasn't as flavorful. She nodded sadly and looked mournfully at her food. The dishes on the ship had been creative yet plain. The trip from Capital City to the Southern Water Tribe was long and they ran out of spices halfway through. Unfortunately they were unable to buy any more due to low funds.

"Sorry to say but you're going to have to get used to it. That's just how food is here."

Katara frowned and looked around. She pointed towards a stand with baked sweets. "I want something from there Wei," she said.

"Eat your noodles first."

She made the cutest stubborn face Wei had ever seen and he couldn't help but laugh. She pouted at his laughter, which only made Wei laugh harder.

"You're adorable Katara. But really, eat your food and I'll get you a fruit tart." He gave her a wide smile which Katara returned. With a determined expression, she slurped her noodles and drank her broth without skipping a beat.

"Wow I'm impressed," he said, noting the rising color in her cheeks and the tears leaking from her eyes. "That was really spicy you know," he teased. Katara nodded and wiped at her eyes. Wei wanted to tease her more, but her sour expression was so heartbreakingly adorable. A deal was a deal and true to his word, Wei bought her a fruit tart.

Katara took a tentative bite of her treat and looked up at her companion. "What is this?"

"A moon peach fruit tart."

"What's a moon peach?"

"It's a fruit that grows on trees in the Earth Kingdom. It only blooms in winter, when the nights are long."

"Oh," she said. "Wei?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I like moon peaches."

Wei smiled. "I do too Katara. They taste really good." Katara nodded in agreement and took another bite of her fruit tart. They walked through the marketplace together; just enjoying each other's company until a soldier came running towards them.

"Lord Wei!" the soldier said while giving Wei a salute. "The Fire Lord and Captain Yon Rha want you and the girl in the throne room right now!"

"Now?" Wei asked, taken aback. Was he really nearing the end of his time with Katara? He didn't spend nearly enough time with her.

"Right now, Wei! Hurry!"

Wei nodded and grabbed Katara's free hand. "Come on Katara, hurry!" he said before jogging off towards the castle. The soldier ran ahead of them and cleared the way of curious citizens. Katara hobbled as fast as she could, but her small legs were nothing compared to Wei's long ones. She tightened her hold on her half-eaten fruit tart as she was nearly dragged to the castle. The Fire Nation castle was large and imposing, but Katara couldn't see much of it as she was quickly dragged inside. Wei dragged Katara through the halls of the castle and the many rooms until they reached the throne room. The soldier gave both Wei and Katara a salute, before departing. Wei caught his breath, straightened his hair and strode into the throne room, Katara clopping behind him.

"Your humble servant Wei Taizong has arrived, Fire Lord Azulon," Wei said as he slightly bowed his head in reverence to the Fire Lord. Katara gaped. Fire Lord Azulon was a tall and imposing figure draped in the shadows of large flame pillars. His long white hair was tied in an elaborate top-knot and his golden eyes bore into hers. Katara thought the men in the skull faces were frightening, but this man was fear itself.

"So this is the last waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe?" asked Azulon. His voice was deep and gravelly and it rumbled all the way to her toes. Wei nodded.

"Yes, this is Katara," Wei said, making a note of everyone who was in the room. Crown Prince Iroh and his son Lu Ten stood at the right of the Fire Lord. Lu Ten was only slightly older than Wei, and they had been playmates during their childhood. Lu Ten flashed Wei a quick grin, before composing himself and looking just as regal as his grandfather. Prince Iroh was regarding Katara with muted interest, and that look gave Wei chills. Everyone knew Prince Iroh was incredibly clever and Wei feared to know what Iroh had in store for the little Water Tribe girl.

To Azulon's left, stood Prince Ozai, his wife Princess Ursa and his two children. Wei blanked on the name of the older son, but he knew the younger girl was named after her grandfather. Was it Asuka? Azuka? Azula? Ozai looked disinterested and the look was mirrored on his children's faces. Ursa looked a little worried and when her eyes caught Wei's, she gave him a kind smile. Right next to Wei was Captain Yon Rha, all cold cruelty and marble-like stoicism.

"What about her family?" Azulon asked.

"Family?" Captain Yon Rha repeated. "Why would you ask that my Lord?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the Fire Lord sneered. "Fifty years ago I was told that every single waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe was in Fire Nation custody, but now you parade this little girl in front of me and I wonder, how did we miss her?"

Yon Rha and Wei were silent, both knowing the answer, but afraid to say it. Crown Prince Iroh broke the silence for them.

"We were not thorough enough Father," Iroh said. "Though we captured the waterbenders, we did not address the real issue; the families creating these benders. We have been lucky so far, but if we let this girl's family run unchecked, who's to say that we won't have another bender to deal with in a few years?"

Iroh's words filled Katara with dread. She finally tore her eyes away from the Fire Lord to stare at Crown Prince Iroh. He was shorter than Wei and rounder too, but he still carried the same dangerous air that surrounded his father.

"Ah-well-" Wei stumbled.

"She has a grandmother, my Lord," Yon Rha said eloquently. "As far as I am aware, her mother is deceased and she has no siblings."

"And her father?" Azulon asked.

"He tried to stop me," Yon Rha said. "He paid for it with his life."

Wei tried to hide his surprise under a mask of indifference. He had no idea why his superior would blatantly lie to the Fire Lord, and for a girl he didn't care about. He was a little nervous about Katara's wide eyed expression, but the girl looked more scared than anything else. Wei hadn't been able to stamp the fear of the Fire Nation out of her completely.

"Good," Fire Lord Azulon said with a dark smile. "Now what shall we do with her? We could imprison her, execute her, send her to the mines…"

Katara frowned and gripped Wei's hand tighter. She didn't like any of those options and she hid behind Wei's legs. Her action did not go unnoticed.

"Honorable Grandfather," Lu Ten begun. "Look at how afraid of us she is. This is what the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdoms are teaching their children; to hate and fear us. With each rebellion we strike down, we give birth to a new generation of dissenters."

Lu Ten's words rang clearly through the throne room and the Fire Lord nodded as he considered his grandson's words. Not everybody was moved however. The young princess rolled her eyes in disdain and her father scowled.

"What are you saying, Lu Ten?" the Fire Lord asked. Lu Ten nodded and continued.

"We cannot continue to oppress the other nations with fear and military force. We have to show them that by siding with us, we can give them prosperity and peace. And we can start with this little girl."

By then, everyone in the throne room was confused. "How Lu Ten?" asked the little prince before his mother hushed him harshly.

"Simple Zuko, we treat this girl like one of us."

"Impossible," Ozai spat. "She is nothing but a filthy Water Tribe peasant. She is not worthy of being a member of this fine and illustrious nation."

"That's the attitude the others hate us for, Uncle Ozai," Lu Ten said. "And that is why they fight us. Nobody wants to be a second-class citizen. If we show the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes that they'll be treated just like everyone else, they'll be more willing to coexist with us."

The Fire Lord looked intrigued with Lu Ten's suggestion, but he was clearly not won over. "Your son makes some interesting points, but what say you Iroh?" Azulon asked.

"Honorable Father, though we are clearly winning the war against the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom has proven to be a challenge. Their people refuse to back down, and we have seen many colonies rise against us, only to fall. Yet they try again." Though he was short of stature, Crown Prince Iroh had the presence of twenty men. His voice was smoother than his younger brother's and his regal demeanor was only matched by his father's. "We have lost many good men and the lower classes are growing restless with discontent. For us to remain a strong and powerful nation, we need to conquer the other nations. I believe this girl may be the key to our utter victory."

Azulon hung on every word of his oldest son, nodding often and looking deep in thought. "Hmm. I want to know where you are going with this Iroh. I fail to see how a girl barely out of swaddling can be the key to annihilating the other kingdoms."

Iroh smiled, a seemingly sweet thing tinged with dangerous intelligence. "The Water Tribes are a strong people, especially the hardy ones of the South. If we imprison her like we did her kinfolk, she will escape us, either by death or breaking free. If we execute her, we will make her a martyr and we shall be monsters who would kill a defenseless little girl. The last thing we need is for the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes to unite against us and use this girl as a rallying cry," Iroh said. "But let's not make her one of us, since Ozai is so against it. We can send her to the Linyi family or the Kong."

Ozai scowled as Azulon slowly nodded in agreement. "You have always been very perceptive Iroh, and it seems as though that trait has passed down to my grandson," he praised. Iroh smiled in pride and Lu Ten beamed. "However, I do have some reservations. The Linyi and the Kong are noble families, chosen by Lord Agni himself to serve us. No matter what good she might do us, Ozai is right; she does not belong and she is not one of us." Quickly, the pride melted off of Azulon's face as he turned toward Yon Rha, Wei and Katara. The young girl shrunk back as Azulon's eyes bored into her own.

"I will do as you say Crown Prince Iroh and Prince Lu Ten. This girl shall be raised as a Fire Nation citizen, but she will become the ward of the Lugui or perhaps the Wairen-"

"My Lord?" Wei interrupted. "Can she be released into my family's custody? My brother Shun is interested in taking a ward, or I can do it. She needs to be in a stable environment with people she's familiar with. She doesn't know anybody else in the whole Capital and the Lugui can barely walk straight on solid ground. The Wairen may have been mighty once, but they have too many children to support. She'd get lost in their brood. That is why I ask you, my Lord, to release Katara into the custody of the Taizong."

"How dare you interrupt the Fire Lord-" Ozai seethed before Azulon cut him off. Azulon's golden eyes showed no annoyance at being interrupted, only slight dismay at Wei's words. "Ozai, we show the Taizong family respect, no matter how many years your junior their members happen to be," Azulon said.

Ozai begun to retort, but a pointed look from Azulon shut Ozai's mouth. Azulon set his sharp gaze on Wei instead, eyes steely, but not unfriendly. "Your family is very influential Wei Taizong, but I cannot honor your request. As I said before, she is a lowly Water Tribe peasant who will never belong within the noble circles of the Fire Nation. She will be sent to live with whomever I decide. Captain Yon Rha, Lieutenant Taizong, Ozai, Ursa, Zuko and Azula, you are all dismissed. Iroh, Lu Ten, stay. The child as well."

With a dark glare directed at Iroh, Ozai left the throne room, wife and children in tow. The young prince—Zuko, he was called—tried to stay behind and peek some more at Katara, but a quick yank from his mother sent him scurrying away. After a deep deferential bow to the Fire Lord, Captain Yon Rha left the throne room as well, fully expecting Wei to follow him. But Wei made no attempt to move. Azulon raised an eyebrow at Wei's disobedience. "That was an order, Lieutenant Taizong," Azulon rumbled.

"Will I be able to deliver Katara to her new family?" Wei asked.

"No you will not. You need to go with your captain and write a report. Dismissed Lieutenant."

"Can I have a few minutes with her then? Please?"

"You have 5 minutes before my patience runs out," Azulon spat.

Wei gave the Fire Lord a short bow before facing Katara. He frowned at the terror etched on her face. "What's happening Wei?" she asked him, eyes darting to Azulon and back to Wei. "I want to go back home."

"Don't worry Katara, the Fire Lord is going to take you to your new home."

"Are you coming with me?"

"…No Katara, I can't. I don't know when I'm going to see you again. But don't worry!" he said quickly at the sight of her tearing up. "The Fire Lord will make sure your new family will be very nice."

"But I want to stay with you Wei," she mumbled. Wei noticed that she still held her crumbling fruit tart tightly. He gently pried the fruit tart from her hand. "Katara," he said, dropping the necklace in her parka pocket. "Keep this in your pocket and don't look at it until you're alone okay?" Katara nodded.

"Now listen to me closely. Not everybody in the Fire Nation is nice-"

"I know that. They're people-burning monsters-"

"Katara don't interrupt me and that's not true. Don't listen to what your tribe told you. We aren't all bad, but we aren't all nice either. You see the Fire Lord? He is not nice. Crown Prince Iroh and Prince Ozai, they are not nice. I won't be there to protect you from them. Don't let them see any weaknesses. You have to be strong and remember that even if we can't see each other, I'll always be your friend. If you ever need me, just ask for Wei Taizong and I'll come running." Wei wondered if that was too much for a young girl to understand, but he could only hope. He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "You'll be okay as long as you remain strong. I'll see you soon."

With a muted nod and a downcast face, Katara shuffled towards the ruler and the future rulers of the Fire Nation. As he watched her go, Wei had the strange feeling that this would be the last time he would see his darling little Katara.


	3. A New Family

**I was going to list everyone who followed and favorited this story, but there were a lot of you so I didn't. Thank you to all the people who reviewed, read, favorited and followed! I really appreciate it. It's a good feeling when you know that other people like something you created, especially when they like it enough to say so. This is my first ever Avatar the Last Airbender fanfiction and I'm happy for all the positive feedback! **

**To be honest, I think updates might slow down a little more. I do have the first several chapters finished, but the Legend of Korra finale has affected more than I thought it would, and I'm not in the mood to write, watch or even read anything ALTA/LOK related. I'm trying to work through it, but I am in a serious funk.**

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><p>The back of the throne room was even scarier than the room itself. A small room decked in dark red tapestries with the Fire Nation emblem on them and the room was full of sweltering heat from unseen flames. Katara felt even smaller than a baby tiger-seal as she looked into the cruel faces of the Fire Lord and his son. Prince Lu Ten gave Katara a small smile and a pat on the head. Azulon and Iroh weren't so pleasant.<p>

"So where were you thinking we could send her?" Azulon impassively asked his son. "Lieutenant Taizong seems very fond of the girl. Perhaps too fond."

"Indeed he does. The boy has a large, if misguided, heart," Iroh said. "Which is all the more reason not to harm her, Father. If we do, I fear we may have a coup on our hands."

"Then we'll take her to the Wairen. They have so many children, one more couldn't possibly hurt. Plus, their youngest is the same age as Azula. And Zula doesn't seem too much older than our little ward here." With a smile, Lu Ten bent down to Katara's height and ruffled her hair. "How old are you sweetheart?" he asked.

With Wei's warnings still fresh in her mind, Katara hesitated. Lu Ten reminded her a little of Wei, especially the smile. They both had big, friendly smiles that made Katara feel a little better about being away from her family. "Four. And a half," she said, childish pride momentarily overriding her fear. Iroh chuckled good-naturedly, but Azulon was unamused. Instead of being charmed by Katara, Azulon was considering Lu Ten's proposition. The Wairen were an influential family, mostly for intermarrying with those of higher birth and for their cunning ways in court. They tended to have many children, and the heads of the family displayed blatant favoritism towards certain children. In addition, it was clear that the women were in charge of the Wairen, something Azulon didn't trust. Despite their status, the Wairen weren't considered true nobility, making them a good candidate for the waterbender's new family.

"Perhaps the Lugui are a better choice. The girl might be stifled by all of the Wairen children running around," Iroh spoke up after noticing his father deep in thought.

"No," Azulon said. "She will be taken to the Wairen and raised as one of their own. Lu Ten, take the girl to the Wairen and tell them of the arrangement. Your father and I will stay and discuss the matter further. Tell Lady Wairen that I will contact her shortly. You are dismissed."

Lu Ten straightened and gave his grandfather a deep respectful bow and a slightly shallower bow to his father. Then he expectantly looked at Katara, who stared back. She then turned to Iroh, who was also looking at her with amusement in his eyes, and then she looked at Azulon, who raised an eyebrow. Katara turned back to Lu Ten, who sighed. "Sweetheart," he said. "You have to bow every time you're excused from the presence of the Fire Lord."

"Why?" Katara asked, much to the shock of Lu Ten, the amusement of Iroh and the irritation of Azulon.

"Because it's respectful! Don't they do anything like that in the Southern Water Tribe? Good thing you're with us now, huh little lady? We'll teach you how to do things the right way," Lu Ten smiled. "Now bow."

With a pout at being told what to do, Katara quickly bent over in a poor imitation of a bow and stomped towards the exit. Iroh gave a big bellied laugh that only grew louder when he saw Azulon's scowl. Lu Ten gave an apologetic look to his grandfather and hurried to catch up to Katara. When he did, she had made her way across the large throne room. Lu Ten marveled at the complete change in personality he witnessed. Before she had been quiet and looked terrified to be in his family's presence and as soon as he said something to her, defiance had sparked in her eyes. "Little lady!" Lu Ten called out to her.

"What?" she asked as she turned and crossed her arms.

Lu Ten gave her the biggest smile he could muster. "You're going the wrong way."

The look on Katara's face clearly said 'Show me the right way, you flametosser.' Lu Ten didn't know where the little girl had learned such vulgar language, but she did spend a few weeks on a ship with sailors. He walking towards started the exit, looking over his shoulder to see her following. He led the way, looking back every so often to see her try to catch up to him. Her fast pace couldn't keep up with Lu Ten's long strides and he would often stop, holding out his hand. The first time he did that, Katara looked at his hand with childish contempt before walking off. After that, Lu Ten just settled on walking next to the little girl and making sure she didn't run off.

After endless twists and turns and long hallways, Lu Ten and Katara exited the palace. A palanquin was waiting, with four servants kneeling in the dirt. Katara looked a little concerned at the men holding the palanquin, but Lu Ten quickly ushered her inside. The interior of the palanquin was plush and luxurious, something Lu Ten was used to, but Katara was not. She spent the entire palanquin ride fidgeting and trying not to sink too deeply into the cushions. Based on her worn parka and her discomfort with luxury, Lu Ten concluded that she must have been lower class. If she was the princess of the tribe, or even nobility, she would have been dressed more ornately, like the royals in the Northern Water Tribe. Either way, Lu Ten was sure that he and his family were giving her a better life. One filled with companions and wealth, much more than the Southern Water Tribe could offer.

Lu Ten looked out of the curtained window and saw the Wairen estate come into view. Before the time of his great-grandfather Sozin, the Wairen were the richest family other than the ruling family. Years of war and conquest had whittled their wealth and lands to little more than nothing. Despite that, the Wairen continued to be very influential, just in a different avenue than they were historically. "Okay, little lady, we're here," Lu Ten said, after he called for the palanquin to stop. "We're going to see your new family? Aren't you excited?" He smiled. Katara didn't share his enthusiasm and looked down. Lu Ten wondered what the girl thought over their trip. She went from sassily defiant, to reserved and maybe a little melancholy.

"No, I want my old family back," she mumbled.

"But your new family will be so much better!"

"How do you know?"

Lu Ten opened his mouth and then closed it again. She was right, but there was no way he was going to let her know that. "Just trust me okay?" he said weakly. "I'm an adult, adults know things that kids don't. That's why we're adults."

Though Katara didn't seem too appeased, she didn't say anything more and let Lu Ten lead her out of the palanquin and into the Wairen estate. Neither talked on the short walk towards the home the Wairen lived. Katara was taken aback at the size of the house, since it was much bigger than any hut in the South Pole. Lu Ten wasn't as impressed. He looked at the small building with dismay. It could fit in Zuko's nursery. Lu Ten knocked on the plain wooden door and waited. Lu Ten heard some rustling, banging and what sounded like a shrill scream before the door whipped open.

Lady Tai Wairen of the Wairen family narrowed her eyes at Lu Ten and his small companion. Lu Ten fidgeted a little before straightening his posture. Lady Wairen's eyes snapped to him, then moved inspect Katara. The little girl stared right back, with no sense of decorum or respect at all. Lady Wairen was a short woman, but her harshly lined face and narrow grey eyes made up for her lack of height. Lu Ten also couldn't help noticing that the Lady was taller than his father.

"Why has the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation come pounding at my door?" Lady Wairen asked in a gravelly voice.

"This is the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. She's your new granddaughter," Lu Ten said nervously. Lady Wairen stayed silent as her attention turned back to Katara. Despite her advanced age, Lu Ten was very nervous. The Lady looked dangerous, quite unlike her son, who was round and full of smiles.

"Why would I need another granddaughter? And from the water tribes to boot! If you really wanted to gain my favor, Prince, you would have brought me a grandson!"

"Lady Wairen, that is all I can tell you for now. The great and illustrious Fire Lord Azulon has promised to contact you with more information later."

Lady Wairen hmphed and shook her head. "Very well then," she said, her hand outstretched towards Katara. "Come child, if you are to be my new granddaughter, you need to have a decent pair of clothes."

With only a little hesitation, Katara took the old woman's hand and entered the Wairen estate without looking back at Lu Ten once. He felt a little hurt that he didn't even warrant a backwards gaze, even though she nearly refused to be parted from Wei. "You look like my Gran-Gran," Lu Ten heard Katara say. He couldn't hear what Lady Wairen said afterwards, but he heard Katara's voice as clear as day. "Yeah, she has grey hair and wrinkles just like you do!"

Lu Ten shook his head. What a cute little peasant.

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><p>Hakoda had never been so angry before. He had been betrayed by someone he thought he could trust. "Tanouk, can you explain yourself? Can you possibly justify selling our Tribe's secrets? Can you justify selling out my daughter?" Hakoda spat out with anger and pain dripping from every word. Tanouk was a tall and stocky man, rugged and riddled with scars from years of dangerous hunts. He was a pillar of the community and a beloved father and husband. Hakoda didn't understand.<p>

"I know she was your daughter Hakoda, but think. She was a danger to the tribe, a danger to all of us," Tanouk said in the face of Hakoda's vehemence. "One temper tantrum and the very foundations of the tribe would have been compromised. In case you haven't realized Hakoda, but we live on a hunk of ice."

"She is four years old, Tanouk! What could she possibly do?"

Tanouk scoffed. "She's four now, but soon. I know your family Hakoda. You come from a long line of strong benders. That girl was going to be strong and strong benders attract attention. What were you going to do? Go to the North and ask for a teacher? Right, because after all these years the North, who have left us for dead, will come running to teach your daughter how to waterbend. Is that really what you thought would happen Hakoda?"

Tanouk's grey eyes bore into Hakoda's, trying to make him see reason, but to no avail. "Hakoda," Tanouk said sadly. "I was protecting the tribe. Katara was going to be strong, and she would have brought the Fire Nation here sooner or later. You know that."

"Tanouk, for your betrayal of the tribe, you shall be exiled, cast out, never to return. You will be erased from your clan and your son will never know your name," Hakoda said coolly. "It will be as if you never existed."

Tanouk looked as if he would protest or explain himself some more, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he let his eyes do the talking for him. Hakoda saw shock, anger, betrayal and disappointment. "I may have told the Fire Nation about Katara, but I wasn't the one who gave her away." With those words, Tanouk went off towards his hut, to tell his wife about his banishment. Hakoda gave a deep and wary sigh. Though he was chief, he normally didn't make such harsh decisions. The tribe was a huge family who looked out for each other and only had the well-being for everyone on their minds. Or so he thought. Tanouk was someone Hakoda had grown up with. Their fathers were best friends and Tanouk was known as a strong and dependable warrior.

Hakoda felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see who it was. Bato's downcast face did nothing for Hakoda's mood. He was quite upset with Bato still, despite Katara being gone for weeks. But, though Bato was not Hakoda's oldest friend, Bato was his dearest. It would take some more time, but Hakoda knew he would forgive the other man eventually.

"Kya wants to see you," Bato said, knowing his friend well enough to not comment on what he witnessed with Tanouk. Hakoda stood on the ice for a few more seconds before heading back to his own hut and his remaining family.

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><p>Even though the prince said that she'd like her new family better, Katara wasn't so sure she would. Lady Tai showed Katara her new room, which included a mirror, a drawer and four cots. She'd have to share her room with three other girls!<p>

"I don't want to share with other girls," she said petulantly.

"Your new sisters you mean," Lady Tai said. Katara didn't say anything, she just pouted. Lady Tai rolled her eyes and led Katara towards the dining area, where the Wairen family was eating their lunch. Katara gave everyone a wide-eyed stare. How could eleven people fit at one table? And why did everyone look the same? All seven of the girls had wide grey eyes, round faces and brown hair. Were these the girls she had to share with? And the adults all had grey eyes too, with brown hair and round heads. Katara looked back at Lady Tai and noted that she was the only one who looked any different, mostly because her hair was grey and her eyes were narrow, like Wei's and the prince's. In her surprise, Katara failed to notice the eleven pairs of eyes upon her. Then, all at once, seven pairs of feet ran towards her.

"ARE YOU OUR NEW SISTER!?"

"Where did you come from?"

"Who are you?"

"You're so cute!"

"Can she stay in my room?"

"Look what I can do!"

"What's your name?"

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID MY NEW SISTER WOULD BE A BABY!"

"Why are you wearing that?"

"Are those hair loopies?"

"What pretty blue eyes."

"Look, look!"

"Alright, ENOUGH!" Lady Tai yelled. The seven identical girls immediately stepped back from a trembling and teary eyed Katara. Once they saw the state Katara was in, they turned on each other instead.

"Look at what you did Ju Lee!"

"I didn't do anything! Da Lee made her cry with her ugly face!"

"Did you look?"

"GIRLS!" This time when Tai yelled, the girls quieted down and they stayed quiet. Now that Katara could see them all properly, she saw that they weren't all identical as she originally thought. They were all different heights and some had narrower faces, some had structured noses, but they all had wide smiles. Lady Tai looked at her grandchildren, her children and her daughter's husband in turn. "Now, I know this is all very sudden, but we have recently been blessed with another addition to our family. This is…girl what is your name?"

Katara looked startled. She thought Lady Tai already knew her name, since she was going to be her new grandmother. "Um, my name is Katara," she said softly. Lady Tai raised a thin eyebrow and hmphed.

"Her name is Katara. Tien, she will be your new daughter. Girls, she will be your new sister and you will treat her as such."

"But Granny Tai! She doesn't look like us at all!" one of the seven girls said.

"That doesn't matter. She is still your sister. Now go and help her find some suitable clothes while I talk to your parents." In the Wairen family, Tai's word was law so the seven girls rushed over, took Katara's arm and ran towards the back of the house. Tai noticed the scared look on Katara's face, but ignored it. The girl probably wasn't used being around so many girls at once. Lady Tai turned back to her children and her daughter's husband. "We need to talk. Things just got to be interesting."


	4. The Lady's Hut

**Happy New Year! ...even though I'm nearly a month too late. I would like to thank everybody who has reviewed, favorited and followed up until this point! I'm really sorry this chapter has taken so long for me to put up (especially since it was already written), but as you all know, life gets in the way of the things that we like to do. So thank you for sticking with me so far and thank you for reading. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long for me to upload, but we'll see.**

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><p>He ran.<p>

He didn't know to where, but he had to get away. He couldn't stay there anymore. How could he? It was like nothing had ever happened. How could they be so happy with Katara gone? How could they dare try to replace her?

Mom and Dad looked so happy when they told him. "Sokka, you're going to be a big brother!" But he was already a big brother. He didn't want another sister, he wanted Katara back! With that thought, Sokka stopped blindly running. Once he stopped, he noticed that he didn't run as far as he thought. In fact, he barely made it to the outskirts of the village. A plan beginning to form in his mind, Sokka started running to the docks. A few people were milled about, mostly women gossiping with each other, but that was all. With the raid still fresh in everybody's mind and the banishment of Tanouk only a few days past, the village was subdued. There weren't many people to see Sokka running towards the docks, and those that were out, but nobody paid him any mind. It was common to see Sokka running around and playing warriors and tiger-seals with his sister. Maybe the women thought he was getting used to playing by himself. But Sokka had a plan that was becoming more solid with every step he took. He wasn't going to be a big brother again, he was going to get his little sister back.

The docks were the only structures still grand in the Southern Water Tribe. They were made out of a mixture of stone and ice, with elegantly and painstakingly carved symbols with archaic meanings that Sokka could only guess at. Sokka headed towards the third dock, where the fishing boats were located. Sokka remembered them from a fishing trip with Masato once. Katara was so jealous at all of Sokka's catches and she cried when she couldn't go. Fishing was a job for men after all. Sokka recognized Masato's fishing boat and headed towards it. He clumsily untied the rope tying the boat to the dock and jumped into the swaying boat. He hefted the oar and paddled—very slowly—into the open sea. Sokka was sure that with enough Paddling, he'd get to the Fire Nation in no time. The oar was heavy, but Sokka was going to be a strong warrior. He paddled away from the tribe, with small waves rocking the boat along the way. The icy shore got smaller and smaller as Sokka paddled farther away. Soon, carrying the oar became too heavy for his tired arms to lift and he stopped paddling. The waves kept pushing the boat farther and farther. The gentle swaying of the boat combined with his tired body lulled him into a deep sleep.

When Sokka woke up, the sky was dark and the stars were shining brightly. Disoriented and shivering slightly from the cold, Sokka shot up and looked around. All he saw was the inky water and choppy waves hitting the hull of the ship. He frowned a little, but picked up the oar and started paddling again. Since he was already this far, he had to continue. The Fire Nation couldn't be too much further. As the night wore on, the sky got darker and the air got colder. Sokka shivered, despite his warm parka. The air was getting frigid, much colder than at the tribe. He wanted to keep going, but he was so cold. He should have brought some furs or maybe one of Gran-Gran's blankets. Sokka looked at the sky again and saw the full moon shining bright in the sky. Seeing the moon all on its lonesome reminded Sokka of himself. He was all alone, in the middle of the ocean and nobody knew where he was.

"Mom?" Sokka asked, hoping against hope that she could hear him. "MOM!" Sokka yelled. "DAD! GRAN-GRAN! BATO!" No matter how loud he yelled, nobody answered. There were no sounds except the waves lapping on the boat's hull and his own ragged breathing. Sokka soon started to panic. "MOM! MOM! KATARA! SOMEBODY! Anybody…" Nobody could hear him. No matter where he looked, he was the only person around for miles. Sokka put down the oar as his vision started to blur. Hot tears warmed his chilled cheeks and Sokka started to sob.

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><p>When Sokka woke up, he was warm. He didn't remember falling asleep, but the dried tear tracks on his face suggested he cried himself to sleep. He sat up and a fur slipped down to his knees. Sokka didn't remember Masato's boat having any furs. He looked around and saw he was in a hut made of ice. On the walls were dark colored furs and etchings of a large fish-looking monster. The fish thing looked a little scary. "Good, you are awake," said a voice. Sokka turned towards the doorway and saw the most beautiful lady he had ever seen. Her skin was dark, like his and her eyes were blue just like Katara's. Her hair was inky, long and curly and her smile reminded Sokka of his mom. "I found you drifting in your fishing boat. Such a large boat for a wee one," she said with amusement in her eyes. "What were you doing in that boat all alone?"<p>

Sokka frowned. His mom told him to never speak to strangers without her or dad present, but the lady looked nice enough and she was super pretty. Her furs were so warm too. "I'm going to the Fire Nation. I'm gonna get my sister back so Mom won't have another baby," he said. The lady looked surprised before her face dissolved into a smile. "You must be very brave for one so young," she said as she approached Sokka. He grinned. No-one had ever called him brave before, except for the man who took Katara away, but he didn't count. He felt really good because this super nice and pretty lady who thought he was brave. "She's my sister so I have to save her. It's my job as a big brother," he puffed out his chest. "I have to be the man because Dad and Bato aren't doing anything."

"Indeed," the woman said. "Your sister is very lucky to have you, but enough of this. As you are now awake, you must be hungry. I have made a stew for you." At the mention of food, Sokka's stomach grumbled loudly. The lady smiled wider as Sokka felt his face heat up. He let the lady help him off the pile of furs and lead him to the front of the hut. The whole hut looked a lot smaller than the one he shared with his family. The front room contained a few sitting furs and a pit that had a small fire and a pot that contained bubbling stew. The smell made Sokka's mouth water and his stomach clenched in hunger. He plopped on one of the furs as the lady produced a bowl and spoon out of seemingly nowhere. She scooped a hearty helping for him and gave him the bowl. As soon as the bowl touched Sokka's hands, he started shoveling the stew into his mouth. It tasted just as delicious as it smelled, with chunks of tender meat and something soft and meaty-tasting.

Halfway into his first bowl, he realized that the lady didn't get any and she was just watching him eat. "Do you want some?" he asked, feeling a little silly at offering the lady her own food. Maybe he was using the only bowl and spoon she had. She shook her head, smiling sadly. "No, I am fine. It is just…you remind me of my sons."

"Oh," Sokka said. "You have kids?"

"Yes, I had many children once, but they are all gone now."

"Did the Fire Nation take them away?" The lady nodded at his question. "Then I'll save them too!" Sokka declared. The lady chuckled.

"You are a very brave boy, little one, but it is too late. The children I have left are beyond your reach," she said. Sokka looked down and frowned. It wasn't fair. The Fire Nation shouldn't be able to take sisters away from their brothers and children from their mothers. And now out of all of the pretty lady's children, she only had a few left. "I'll get back on the boat and sail to the Fire Nation! I'm not far, I was sailing for a long time," Sokka insisted. The lady looked at her hands for a moment, before fixing Sokka with an intense look.

"Do you want to help me get my children back?" she asked? Sokka nodded. "Then I want you to grow up. Grow up and be strong for your mother because she will look to you. Be strong for your father, so he can use your strength to carry his feet forward. Be strong for your brother, who will need you to protect him." The lady's intense stare softened as a gentle smile overtook her face and she laid her hand over Sokka's smaller one. "Grow up and be strong for your sister. She will need you to guide her when you save her, but do not fret child," she said at Sokka's bewildered look. "Finish your stew, you are still a child yet." Sokka nodded and did as he was told, he even got seconds. Once he was finished, the lady took all of the dishes and the stew and stashed them away. Sokka yawned loudly and let the lady guide him back to the room he woke up in. It seemed to have gotten even warmer and he was starting to feel very drowsy. "You rest child," the lady said, tucking him into the furs. Sokka drowsily smiled at the lady, before looking a little apprehensive. "Um, can you sing me a song so I can go to sleep? Katara gets bad dreams, so Mom always sings to her and I always overhear, but she doesn't anymore." The lady smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. Up close, the lady looked even prettier and in the dark, her blue eyes looked like they were glowing. "I will sing you a song," she said. The lady had a really pretty voice, low and husky, unlike his mother's smooth tones. She sounded like a bottomless, fathomless abyss deep in the ocean. He didn't understand what she saying, but he let the sound of her voice wash over him and lull him to sleep.

Sokka was shaken awake and the only thing he registered was the freezing cold. He felt snow slowly melting inside his parka. He looked up and saw wild blue-grey eyes boring into his own. "Oh thank Tui, thank Tui," came the relieved voice that Sokka vaguely recognized. The shaking stopped and he was pulled tightly to the body above him. "You gave us such a scare Sokka! Where were you? You didn't come home for dinner and we looked and Masato's boat was missing! I can't—"

"Hakoda, he's freezing. Let's get him home before he gets frostbite. Kya would be happy to see him," said another voice. The strong arms lifted him and it felt like he was moving. His eyes blankly looked at the sky, it was white and he could see small flakes of snow. Sokka wondered about the pretty lady in her lonely hut before he fell back asleep.

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><p>When Sokka woke up again, he was starving. He tumbled out of the pile of furs he was wrapped in and headed towards the kitchen. When he arrived, he saw his mother, Gran-Gran, Dad and Bato. His mother flew up and gathered Sokka into her arms. "Where were you? We looked and you were gone and I…" Kya said before bursting into tears. "How could you do that to us?" Hakoda exploded. "You just up and leave without telling anybody! Did you even think about us!?"<p>

"Hakoda, let the boy speak. I know Sokka will explain everything to us, won't he?" Gran-Gran said smoothly. "Kya, you're smothering the poor boy!" Kya nodded and took a seat next to Hakoda. Her face was wet with tears and Hakoda held her hand tightly. Sokka fidgeted as eight eyes fell on him, awaiting his explanation. He kept silent, he didn't want to talk about his plan. Now, in the face of his mother's tears and his father's anger, Sokka thought his idea seemed really silly. "Well?" Hakoda asked harshly. Sokka sighed and looked at his feet.

"I wanted to save Katara from the Fire Nation," he mumbled.

"I can't hear you!" Hakoda yelled.

"I said I wanted to save Katara from the Fire Nation!" he said loudly. "I took Masato's boat and I was going to sail to the Fire Nation and bring Katara back with more so Mom wouldn't have another baby." Sokka looked at the adults and flushed at the incredulity on their faces. He didn't like that.

"That's not how it works, Sokka," Bato spoke up for the first time. "You can't—"

"But why not!? You all act like Katara never existed!" Sokka cried. "None of you guys are doing anything! You didn't do anything! You just let them take her away!" At Sokka's words, Kya started to sob anew. The men looked ashamed of themselves, but Kanna held her head up high. Her grandson's words rung true, but he was a child and he didn't understand how the world worked.

"The penguin otter doesn't go up against the elephant squid when it knows that it is colossally outmatched, Sokka. Our tribe can do nothing against the Fire Nation, and neither can you," Kanna said coolly. Sokka bristled. "The pretty lady said I could do it!" he shouted. That made the adults pause. Kanna's eyes widened, Bato's jaw dropped, Hakoda look shocked and angry at the same time, and Kya's sobs gradually stopped.

"What pretty lady?" she asked in her watery voice. "Who did you see?"

"Tell us everything Sokka!" Bato said loudly.

"I paddled for a really long time and then I fell asleep. When I woke up I paddled some more but I was cold and alone and it was dark. The pretty lady saved me. I woke up in her hut and she fed me some stew and told me about her kids." Sokka didn't understand why everyone was so interested in the pretty lady. She was really nice and her stew was really good.

"What did she look like?" Kanna asked.

"She had blue eyes and dark skin like us and her hair was black. She was really pretty and nice and she made good stew," Sokka mumbled. Kanna looked as if she was deep in thought. Hakoda noticed his mother's thoughtful expression and turned to Sokka. "Sokka, why don't you go to Masato and apologize for taking his boat," he said sternly. His voice quickly softened as he spoke to his wife. "Kya, why don't you go with him?"

Kya nodded and stood. "Come on Sokka, you have a lot to explain to Masato," she said softly, stretching out her hand for her son to take. Sokka looked at his mother with an unreadable expression, before walking towards the parkas. Pain flickered across Kya's face at her son's rejection, but she steeled herself and followed him. Soon enough, the both of them had left the hut, leaving Kanna, Hakoda and Bato alone.

"Well?" Hakoda asked his two companions.

"Sokka's story does not make any sense. The way he talks, it seems he was only gone for a day or two, but he was gone for a week! We were going to begin his funeral rites!" Bato anguished. "And who is this 'pretty lady'? The closest inhabited island is Kyoshi Island and they don't look like the lady Sokka described."

"He couldn't have reached Kyoshi Island anyway, it's a two week voyage, and Sokka was sailing the wrong way," Hakoda said.

"I think Sokka was transported to the spirit world," Kanna said suddenly. Hakoda and Bato looked at Kanna with wide eyes. "I think he must have encountered the spirt of someone who suffered during the raids. Plenty of mothers lost their children when the Fire Nation took the waterbenders. She could have died trying to defend her children or maybe she took her own life after the Fire Nation took her children away."

"So my son was spirited away by a lonely childless ghost?" Hakoda asked. He suddenly looked very old and very weary. Grey hairs that were not present before the raid peppered his scalp and there were wrinkles at the corners of his mouth. Kanna frowned at the stress her son was under. Their family felt empty without Katara, but Kanna thought they were slowly healing. This debacle with Sokka only proved to her that they had a long way to go.

"We should be grateful that the spirt gave him back to us, not to mention that he's alive. Spirts do not give up those in their grasp so easily," Kanna said. "He's been touched by a spirt, that marks him apart from the rest of us. My grandmother used to say that those touched by a spirt had more spirts drawn to them, so let's keep Sokka close to us." The men nodded. They couldn't let something like this happen again, not after losing Katara. Hakoda knew that he had to make Sokka see that the new baby was not a replacement for his lost sister. He just didn't know how.


	5. Baby and Me

I would like to say thank you to everybody who's read, favorited, followed and reviewed this story and I'm really glad you all liked the last chapter. It was the first time I've ever written something like that and I'm glad everyone seemed to like it. Last chapter actually marked a turning point in the narrative. Instead of us shifting back and forth between Katara and Sokka, we've now fully settled on Sokka and his story. So please keep on reading and reviewing!

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><p>"Is that what I looked like when I was a baby?" Sokka asked, looking at the small bundle cradled in his mother's arms. The baby was swaddled in multiple blankets, making the baby look even smaller. Sokka's new sibling was sleeping, which was a welcome change from the screeching earlier. Instead of answering him, Kya hmmed at Sokka and continued gazing at the small person she just birthed.<p>

Nulia, on the other hand, had heard Sokka's question. She had helped Kanna deliver Kya's previous children and now she helped bring newest addition of the Chief's family into the world. Despite her twenty-six years of life, Nulia was unmarried and childless, a rarity in the Southern Water Tribe. She was labelled strange by the older women, but nobody could deny her talent as a midwife. Peering over to look into the baby's face, Nulia giggled. "You had a much bigger head when you were born, Sokka."

Sokka frowned at Nulia, but her blue eyes just twinkled at him as she continued to clean up. He looked up at his mother's face and the faces of Gran-Gran and Nulia. Despite the content look on their faces, they all looked so tired. Sokka thought he probably looked tired too. He felt tired. He had to help prepare everything for the baby and he spent hours getting blankets, clean water and clean towels. His hand was still sore from when his mom clutched it and his ears were still ringing from her screaming. Then another question popped into his head. "What did Katara look like when she was a baby?" Sokka asked. The room fell silent. Even Nulia's good mood dissipated.

"Sokka," Gran-Gran said tiredly. "Why don't you go get your father so he can see the baby too?" Sokka stared at the sleeping baby some more before, running out of their hut. Earlier, Gran-Gran had Hakoda and Bato kicked out because a "birthing was a job for women and women only." Sokka wished he was kicked out too. A birthing chamber was no place for a little boy.

Sokka found his dad sitting in Bato's hut. He was sitting and just staring at the wall with a sad look on his face. Only the two of them were there, Bato was nowhere to be found, and the hut rang with silence. "Dad?" Sokka broke the silence in the still hut. Hakoda turned to face his son with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Hi Sokka. I'm guessing your grandmother has sent you to get me," he said softly.

"Yeah, the baby's here."

"I see," Hakoda said. "I guess I should go see it then."

"Yeah. Nulia says I had a bigger head when I was a baby, but my head isn't big at all."

Hakoda laughed at that. "No, she is right. You did have a big head when you were a baby. A big head with a normal sized face! You were so cute when you little…the both of you were."

Sokka didn't know what to say. Ever since he tried to sail to the Fire Nation, the village stopped talking about Katara. They acted as if she didn't exist, as if Sokka was an only child and had always been so. It reminded Sokka of when his Gramp-Gramp went back to the ocean. They stopped talking about him and soon Sokka almost forgot that he had a Gramp-Gramp. And if Sokka really, really thought about it, he could remember Bato with someone else, a pretty lady with grey eyes and black hair. But maybe Sokka made her up.

"Don't you want to see the baby Dad?" Sokka asked.

Hakoda stayed silent for a long time. "Yes. Come on Sokka." He stood up and exited the hut, with Sokka trailing behind him.

* * *

><p>Being a big brother was pretty fun. Since he and Katara were so close in age, he didn't remember much from when she was a baby. For some reason, he didn't think she was as energetic as his baby brother was.<p>

"Say 'Mama,'" Kya said to the babbling baby. He looked at his mother with wide blue eyes, and then tried to crawl away. Kya laughed and grabbed him before he got away. "Come on Touya, say 'Mama.' Mama!"

Sokka watched as his mother's attempts to teach Touya to speak came to no avail. Whenever she tried to get him to say something, Touya would laugh, try to get away or chew on his fingers. His chubby legs kicked out and he had a toothy grin on his face. Sokka noticed how Kya's face brightened as she looked at her second son. Both Kya and Hakoda had been fawning over Touya ever since he was born, usually leaving Sokka to his own devices. He really didn't mind, but he did feel like he was being forgotten. Just like how everyone forgot Katara. But Sokka didn't forget. He would never forget Katara and he would save her from the Fire Nation. Even if Sokka was forgotten by his family, he wasn't forgotten by everybody else. After Masato forgave him for taking the fishing boat, he taught Sokka how to use fishing spears, harpoons and other things an almost seven year old boy should not be playing with. But with Hakoda busy with hunting, trying to facilitate a relationship with the Northern Water Tribe, and with Touya, there was nobody left to teach him. And Nulia had a habit of dragging Sokka from his hut and teaching him 'womanly duties' in secret.

"You need someone to mend your socks and wash your underclothes Sokka," Nulia said. "Your mother is too busy with Touya to help much with the house duties and your grandmother is too old to take care of her hut and yours, so you have to pick up the slack, Sokka. If your sister were here, she would help, but it's only you." And so Nulia taught Sokka how to sew holes, scrub clothes, gut fish, along with other tasks. The older men liked to tease Sokka for 'working his charm' on Nulia, but he ignored them. He needed to know all he could before going to the Fire Nation. Now Sokka knew that he needed more than a fishing boat and an oar to get to the Fire Nation. He didn't tell his parents about his plan. They still believed the pretty lady was a ghost who wanted to kill him. Sokka didn't tell Masato either, because the man would get worried and tell Hakoda. But Sokka did tell Nulia, which made her nervous, but she felt better when he promised he'd wait until he was a man. Though she didn't like to, Nulia was the only one who answered Sokka's questions about Katara. Sokka liked her for that.

"Sokka," Kya said, snapping the young boy out of his thoughts. "Do you want to play with your brother?" She looked at her older son with hopeful eyes and a hesitant smile. Said son wanted to say no and leave to catch fish with Masato until the moon rose. But when Touya looked at Sokka with huge blue eyes that were so heartbreakingly familiar, Sokka couldn't say no. He nodded and saw Kya's face lit up as she brought Touya over. "I want him to say 'mama' but he doesn't seem to want to," Kya sighed. "I know he can talk, I can see it in his eyes."

Sokka glanced at his mother, but turned his attention back to Touya. The child was trying to grab Sokka's fingers and giggling when Sokka moved them just out of reach. "He's not as talkative as you were," Kya continued. "When you were little, you would just go on and on and on, making as much noise as possible. The first word I ever heard you say was 'meat'," Kya chuckled. "You were your father's son all right." Sokka didn't say anything; he didn't look up at his mother at all. Instead, he let Touya grab a finger.

"Can you say Sokka, Touya? Say Sokka," Sokka said, wincing when Touya started chewing on his finger. How could a baby with barely any teeth bite so hard?

"I don't think he can say your name, Sokka. It might be a little too hard for him to pronounce. 'Mama' is much easier," Kya said. "You were such a smart baby. You were walking and talking before all the other children. Touya seems to be developing a little later than usual, but he'll be okay."

"Was Katara smarter than the other kids? What was her first word?" Sokka asked. He noticed the stiffening of his mother's back and the heavy silence that fell upon the room. Maybe she would actually answer him this time. Maybe she would stop pretending Katara didn't exist. Maybe she would stop using Touya to fill the hole in their family.

But she didn't say anything. Sokka felt the familiar sensation of disappointment fill his chest. He should have gone fishing with Masato. "Sahka." At least Masato doesn't ignore his questions. Or maybe Nulia, she talks to him about Katara. "Sahka." She doesn't pretend Katara's dead, she doesn't pretend not to hear him, she doesn't— "SAHKA!" A loud smack resounded throughout the hut and Sokka's eyes narrowed.

"Ow Touya! That hurt!" he scowled, rubbing his cheek. Touya giggled and started smacking Sokka's hand. "Sahka, Sahka," the baby babbled and grinned. Sokka smiled back. His name wasn't hard to pronounce at all.

* * *

><p>"You thrust the spear like this," Masato said, repeatedly jabbing the whale bone spear into thin air. "Look at my stance. See how my legs are slightly bent? That helps keep my—"<p>

Sokka's eyes widened when Masato fell to the ground with a loud thump. Nulia stood behind him, with her leg stuck out and a smile on her face. "No matter how solid your stance is," she said with a smile. "You always need to be on your guard for someone wilier than you are, Sokka."

"Who even invited you?" Masato grumbled as he climbed off the ground. "Women should be doing women's work."

"I wanted her to come," Sokka said in a soft voice. Masato scowled and muttered darkly when Nulia offered him a smug smile.

"I don't see why your father can't be the one to teach you these things," Masato grumbled. "I'm a fisherman, I fish for…"

"Fish?" Nulia offered mockingly.

"With a mouth like that, no wonder you aren't married!" Masato said. Nulia frowned and crossed her arms.

"Dad's busy," Sokka said. "With the baby and Mom and village stuff. Bato too, so I asked you and Nulia to help teach me how to fight."

"But why her?" Masato asked petulantly.

"I'll have you know that my father was one of the best warriors this village has ever seen. And he taught me everything he knew because he had no son."

"And I want to be a great warrior just like Nerivik!" Sokka said. "I have to, to protect the baby." Masato gave Sokka an appraising look and sighed.

"Alright, pick up that up," Masato said, pointing to the discarded spear. "I want you to master spear thrusting."

"A spear's good for fishing, but it's not much use in a fight against a firebender." Nulia interrupted. "They'll just burn it up, so we should teach Sokka how to use a more useful weapon." She took off a long leather pouch that was strapped across her back. She took a small black-wrapped handle and pulled it out of the pouch. Sokka's eyes widened as the light glinted off the wickedly deadly blade.

"This was my father's machete," Nulia said, noticing Sokka's awe. "He always said that this was his lucky weapon. It had saved his life more times than he could count." A dark look crossed her face. "He left it home once, and then he never came back. I guess he would have wanted my son to have it, but you're close enough Sokka."

"You mean I can have it?" Sokka asked. "But it was your dad's!"

A gentle and slightly sad smile settled itself on Nulia's face. She carefully held the machete in between them both and she kneeled to his level. "I know you have your own parents and they probably want to give you their own heirlooms, but I think we have something special," she said. "I think of you as my own son and I know my father would want a worthy warrior like you to have his treasured machete."

"Really? But I don't know how to use it yet!"

"That's why you have us to teach you," Masato said with a grin. "Now, let's see your stance!"

* * *

><p>"What's snow?"<p>

Sokka stopped padding the snow blocks he was creating and sighed in thinly veiled annoyance. "Really? There's snow all around you and you're telling me you don't know what snow is?" Touya looked unfazed at Sokka's outburst and shook his head.

"Nope. What's snow?" Touya asked again. Sokka rolled his eyes. All he wanted to do was make a decent watchtower, by himself, with nobody around him. But of course, Touya had to tag along where he wasn't wanted. But that wasn't the worst part. Ever since Touya learned how to talk, he never stopped talking, and always about stupid stuff. Why would Sokka know why the ocean was blue? He was only twelve! And Kya and Hakoda only encouraged Touya's incessant talking. They thought the two boys were 'bonding'.

"Snow is ice or something that falls from the sky," Sokka said. The annoyance in his voice was startlingly clear for anybody who wasn't Touya.

"Oh. Why does snow fall from the sky?" And of course, Touya had another question up his fur-lined sleeves. "I don't know," Sokka said. "I guess it's because sky ice is too heavy to fly."

Touya's eyes widened. "Wow, really!?" The six year old looked at his older brother with admiration. "Wow, Sokka, you're so smart!" Though Sokka was annoyed, he felt a warm tingly feeling in his chest. Touya was annoying, but the kid knew how to get into Sokka's good graces.

"Hey Sokka?" Touya asked, looking a apprehensive. Sokka raised an eyebrow, but continued to pack snow for his snow blocks. Touya looked at the finished blocks and started packing up snow to create his own. "What's the Fire Nation?" Sokka's hands stilled on the packed snow as memories all came rushing back and his eyes blurred.

"Are you crying? Are you okay? Did you stub your toe?" Touya looked at his distraught brother frantically. Sokka never cried as far as Touya knew. Sokka was big and strong and knew how to do everything. When Kya couldn't, Sokka would sew the holes in Touya's pants, make a cooking fire, hunt and fish. Sokka was Touya's hero, even more than Hakoda was.

"No, I didn't stub my toe, I'm okay," Sokka said. He didn't want to, but he was going to tell Touya about the Fire Nation. He needed to know about the monsters who devastated their village and who took away important people. "The Fire Nation is a country across the ocean that—"

"There are other places besides the South Pole!?"

"Yes, Touya. There's a North Pole, the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation." Of course, the only reason Sokka knew all this was because Masato told him. The other adults didn't seem to want the children to know about life outside of the tribe. "The Fire Nation is a country across the ocean that's full of monsters."

"Monsters?"

"Monsters who look like people Touya. One hundred years ago, they killed all of the Air Nomads, including the Avatar, and they started a world-wide war. They attacked the Earth Kingdom next and after that, they attacked us. Our village used to be as great as the Northern Water Tribe," Sokka said, quoting what he heard from Masato. "But the Fire Nation took away all of our waterbenders and burnt our village to the ground. "

Shock was clearly written on Touya's face. He had no idea. The small pitiful village that Touya had grown up was all he knew and to know that there was a whole world, outside of the large hunk of ice he called home, was mindboggling. But he had to know something. "Why? Why are they causing a war Sokka?" Touya asked. Sokka shook his head.

"Because they're evil, I guess. I don't know," Sokka huffed. Touya nodded, accepting Sokka's expertise. The two lapsed into silence as they continued to make snow blocks. But no matter how smooth he patted the blocks, Touya felt that something was wrong.

"Hey Sokka?"

"Yes?"

"When were all the waterbenders taken away?"

Sokka was silent. Silent like the way Kya was whenever Touya asked a question she didn't like. Sokka was silent for so long that Touya thought he ignored the question. Touya pouted, Sokka was the only one who answered Touya's questions. Everybody else told him that he was too young to know anything and then acted like he was stupid. Touya was a lot smarter than people thought he was.

"A long time ago. Most of the waterbenders were taken before we were born," Sokka said.

"But why are you so sad Sokka?" Touya asked. "If the waterbenders were taken a long time ago, then why are you sad now? What have they done? They didn't do anything."

Sokka frowned deeply, making him look a lot older then twelve years old. "You have no idea what the Fire Nation has done to me, personally," Sokka said. "If you're going to be out here, then help me finish making this watch tower." Sokka turned back to his bricks and started piling one on top of each other. Touya helped.

* * *

><p>"Sokka! Sokka!" Touya bounced into the hut, breezing past his cooking mother and stitching grandmother. Kanna chuckled at her young grandson. It warmed her heart to see Touya still smiling and carrying on, especially after the men left to go fight in the war. She was more worried about Sokka. Ever since the last raid, he had become more and more reserved. He was no longer the little boy who would beg for seal jerky and crack jokes about snow. He was serious, too serious, Kanna thought, and distant from his family. She noticed the coldness Sokka showed his mother and the indifference to his father. She noticed how little time he spent at home. She noticed how he didn't care when the men left, or even that his ice-dodging would be postponed until after the men returned. Kanna was worried about her grandson. She voiced her concerns to her daughter-in-law, but Kya would have none of it. All Kya saw was her older son maturing and as long as he continued to spend time with Touya, she was happy. "Bye Mom, bye Gran-Gran!" Touya yelled, dragging Sokka behind him. Kanna couldn't help chuckling at the wary resignation on her older grandson's face. She hoped that maybe Touya could fill the void in Sokka's heart, just like the energetic boy had filled the rest of the family's. Touya really was a blessing for their family.<p>

"Is it really necessary for you to drag me out the hut?" Sokka asked as they exited the hut.

"I want to go penguin sledding!" Touya yelled, loud enough for Kya, Kanna and the rest of the village to hear.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I'm too old to go penguin sledding."

"You're never too old to go penguin sledding! Stop saying no, just come on Sokka!" Touya said. He continued to drag Sokka into the empty expanse of ice that surrounded their small village, away from where the penguins were. Sokka raised an eyebrow, but he only looked back to the pitiful snow wall that surrounded his village. Sokka inwardly sighed. At least his watchtower looked good. After the village was nothing more than a small speck of blue against a white backdrop, Touya stopped and turned to face Sokka. Gone was the bright smile from before, replaced by a deep frown and worry clearly written on his face. Touya looked as if he was going to cry. "What's wrong?" Sokka asked. Just a few minutes ago, his little brother was bouncing off the ice, and now he was so subdued.

"Sokka…I'm scared," Touya whispered.

"Scared of what?" Sokka frowned, still confused.

"The Fire Nation!"

"You should be, but I don't think they're gonna come back, so don't worry."

"Yes they will!"

"Why do you think that?"

"Look!" Touya said and Sokka could not believe his eyes. With clumsy, jerky and exaggerated arm sweeps, Touya was making the snow move. It wasn't moving very far, but Sokka knew waterbending when he saw it. His heart spluttered to a stop in his chest and in a fit of unexplainable rage, Sokka shoved Touya into the snow.

"How could you do this to me!? Why?" Sokka yelled.

"I don't know Sokka, it just happened!" Touya cried. Heavy sobs wracked the little boy's body and tears fell freely down his face. "I didn't mean to…and now the Fire Nation is gonna take me away. I'm so sorry."

Seeing his brother covered in snow and face covered in tears and snot, caused Sokka to deflate. He couldn't stay angry at Touya over something that wasn't his fault. "Don't cry," Sokka said as he knelt into the snow. He wiped the tears and snot from Touya's face with a fluffy mitten. "Don't cry Touya. I'm not mad at you."

"You aren't?" Touya sniffed. Sokka shook his head.

"I'm just sad," Sokka sighed. Touya looked blankly at Sokka, sniffing periodically. "Just promise me something, okay?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell anybody else about your magic water okay? Not Mom, not Senka, not Gran-Gran, nobody! Especially not Mom and Gran-Gran."

"Why not?" Touya asked. "Shouldn't Mom and Gran-Gran know?"

"No. If you don't tell them, then the Fire Nation won't get you."

"But why not?"

Sokka paused. Touya was only eight. He didn't deserve to have the burdens that Sokka shouldered. He promised the pretty lady that he would become strong enough to protect his brother and save her children. He had to protect Touya, and he had to teach Touya to protect himself. "There was a little girl in the village. She was a little bossy and annoying, but she would always play warriors and tiger-seals with me and I would help her build snowhouses. We went penguin-sledding even though we were way too young. I didn't realize back then, but she was my best friend."

Touya was surprised. To him, Sokka was the coolest big brother who was just like an adult. Sokka never played warriors and tiger-seals with him or went penguin sledding. Who was this girl and why was she so important? "What happened to her?" Touya asked.

"She was really good at waterbending, at least I think she was really good. The whole village knew that she was a waterbender and Dad was always talking about looking for a teacher for her. The Fire Nation found out and they took her away," Sokka said. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I hope you never see black snow Touya."

"Who was she, Sokka? Why would Dad look for a teacher for her?" Touya asked. Their dad was the chief and he cared about everybody in the village, but Touya didn't think Hakoda would try so hard to find a waterbending teacher for a random village girl. Sokka was quiet for a long time. They stood out in the snow for a long time until Sokka finally spoke.

"Katara. My little sister."


End file.
